Inner Test of Truth and Identity

Neville's Inner Vision

John 18:22-23 is not a history lesson about violence; it is a parable of a state of consciousness. The officer and the palm are inner symbols: the 'high priest' voice within, and the sudden fear that you are guilty and must be punished. Jesus’s reply—'If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?'—is the declaration of the I AM, the witness in you that remains untouched by appearances. He does not scheme to prove or defend a persona; he asserts truth and invites the outer scene to answer from its own source. The one who strikes represents a belief that you are defined by others’ judgments; the moment you stand as the witness, those judgments lose their bite, and the scene refines into clarity. By embracing the truth of your inner innocence and power, you convert threat into a cry for alignment with the reality of God within. When you refuse to retaliate with the old self, you let the inner I AM do the healing work, and the outward event reflects your revised sense of self.